''Tarihi Kadırga'' (

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

for "historical galley") is an Ottoman

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

constructed in the late 16th or early 17th century for the use of

Ottoman sultans The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

on inshore waters. She is the only surviving original galley in the world, and has the world's oldest continuously maintained wooden hull.

Design

''Tarihi Kadırga'' has a length of and has a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

of , she was equipped with 24 oars, and crewed by 144

oarsmen Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

. She had two masts, but these are now removed.

History

''Tarihi Kadırga'''s date of construction is unknown. However, it is presumed that she was built in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

in the period between the reigns of Sultan

Murad III Murad III ( ota, مراد ثالث, Murād-i sālis; tr, III. Murad; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Saf ...

(1574–1595) and Sultan Mehmed IV (1648–1687), as evidenced by AMS radiocarbon dating and dendrochronological research. The ship had a long service life, remaining in use until the reign of Sultan

Mahmud II Mahmud II ( ota, محمود ثانى, Maḥmûd-u s̠ânî, tr, II. Mahmud; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, ...

(1808–1839). The first recorded mention of her dates from 1861, when the Istanbul newspaper ''Şehbal'' stated she was recorded by a French naval architect. In 1885, the ship underwent major repairs ordered by Sultan Abdulhamid II, in which decayed planks below the waterline were replaced, and the ship was refurbished. The galley was kept at the

Topkapı Palace The Topkapı Palace ( tr, Topkapı Sarayı; ota, طوپقپو سرايى, ṭopḳapu sarāyı, lit=cannon gate palace), or the Seraglio A seraglio, serail, seray or saray (from fa, سرای, sarāy, palace, via Turkish and Italian) i ...

until 1913, when she was moved to the Imperial Naval Arsenal at Kasımpaşa. By 1923, she was in a state of disrepair, with photographs published in '' The Mariner's Mirror'' showing damage to her lower strakes. However, by 1939, another photograph published in '' National Geographic Magazine'' showed her condition to have improved. The kiosk was restored in 1944, and the hull in 1950. During this restoration, some of the decoration on her hull was repainted by members of Istanbul University's Fine Arts Faculty. She remained at Kasımpaşa until 1956, when she was moved again, now to

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...

, where she stayed until her final move in 1970. This time she was moved by barge to the

Istanbul Naval Museum The Istanbul Naval Museum ( Turkish: ''İstanbul Deniz Müzesi'') is a national naval museum, located at Beşiktaş district of Istanbul in Turkey. It was established in 1897 by the Ottoman Minister of Navy Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha. Th ...

. She was given another restoration in 1982 and 1983, which included the replacement of decorative elements and repainting of the entire ship.

Gallery

File:IstanbulNavalMuseum18.JPG, The bow is decorated with symbols such as star, crescent, sun, stylized leaves, and flowers File:IstanbulNavalMuseum38.JPG, A view of the

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...

showing the ornamented kiosk File:Istanbul Naval Museum 8308.jpg, Rowers' benches File:Istanbul Naval Museum 8356.jpg, Close-up of the decoration under the kiosk File:Istanbul Naval Museum 8245.jpg, One of the two

basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is ...

carvings

Notes

References

External links